While Congress largely ignores the Vioxx and other drug safety scandals skipping across the front pages and endangering Americans' health, the states are quietly moving forward to protect citizens from unsafe drugs. Here's a blog comment by CALPIRG consumer advocate Emily Clayton on passage by a state Senate committee of S. 1683, the Pharmaceutical Drug Right-to-Know Act by state Senator Jack Scott, (and here's a CALPIRG press release on committee passage. The bill would require drug companies to release the results of all their health studies for every drug sold in California. U.S. PIRG's pages supporting S. 930, a proposal by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IL) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) to improve FDA's drug safety. It's mired in typical Congressional gridlock exacerbated by massive drug company campaign contributions and obfuscation and confusion from their phalanx of lobbyists. California's excellent proposal is a perfect example of why states should not be preempted from protecting consumer pocketbooks and their health and safety. If the states don't lead, who will?